Gay Manchester

Gay Manchester

From a small Roman fort at Mamucium or Mancunium in 79 AD, Manchester has grown to become Britain's second largest metro area, with a population of over 2 million. Once dubbed “Cottonopolis” during the heyday of textile manufacturing when 65% of the world's cotton was processed in this area, Manchester became the world's first industrial city during the early-19th century.

"What Manchester does today, the rest of the world does tomorrow" was a 19th century saying, and the first train station was built here. Later the first programmable computer was built at the Victoria University of Manchester, and scientists at the Manchester College of Technology are credited with first "splitting the atom" in 1932. The atomic trio were Irish, English and a New Zealander, illustrating the long-time cosmopolitan character of this city, the commercial center of a far-flung empire. Even earlier, 14th century Flemish weaver immigrants made their contribution to the genesis of the textile industry to come.

Today, with the factories gone, Mancunians have moved decisively into the post-industrial age, retaining the best industrial architecture, recycling buildings that survived the war, and creating new urban models - especially since the late-1980s. The famous stretch of Canal Street in the Village is arguably the finest remaining example of a Victorian commercial district in England. Now, instead of transporting coal and cloth, the old canals serve as backdrop for chic to funky boutiques, thronged bars, and renowned dance clubs with top DJs who create cutting-edge music trends - one of the world's most vibrant gay villages.

It took the TV series Queer as Folk (British original version) to put this city in England's northeast on the gay map for most Americans, but area pubs have welcomed a gay clientele since at least 1940. Manchester Pride events take place over ten days in August, attracting visitors from around Britain and the world.

As befits a city with such a history of industry, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Museum of Transport have major collections of steam locomotives, machinery, aircraft, buses and trams. The Manchester Museum has Egyptology and natural history departments of note, the Manchester Art Gallery is known for European paintings, and the Whitworth Art Gallery has displays of modern art, sculpture and textiles. At Chetham's Library, the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, the economics books read by Karl Marx can be seen on the shelf, as can the window seat where Marx met Friedrich Engels. In his book, The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844, Engles drew on the period he lived here to critique rising inequalities of wealth and the poor living conditions of many workers in this early industrial society.

Manchester Airport has direct flights from nine major North American cities, ten Caribbean airports, over one hundred from cities around Europe, as well as others from Africa and Asia. On arrival there is fast and frequent Trans Pennine Express train service linking the airport with over 100 destinations across the North of England and beyond. Their website has links for services to Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Midlands, and the South of England. There is also 24-hour bus service from the airport into downtown Manchester. For details see TFGM, the Transport for Greater Manchester website.

National Express coaches make up to 14 trips a day from London Victoria Station to Manchester Central Coach Station, Chorlton Street - a three-hour journey. National also operates C2C trains from London to Manchester Oxford Road & Piccadilly Station. The Virgin Train brings party people from London Euston to Manchester in a little over two hours, with departures every half hour or so -- from Paris too, connecting with Eurostar trains that arrive at London St Pancras. They also offer WiFi access. For more rail connections into Manchester see National Rail.

Getting around

Within the city, Manchester's train, bus and tram system is excellent. See TFGM for info on all public transport in the city, including a section on cycling. Manchester Bike Hire will deliver a rental bike to your door, then collect it later - for about £20/ day, with 9-5 service hours.

Currency and Money

The British pound is the currency of the United Kingdom. ATMs are sprinkled throughout the downtown area, in all the usual places. Contact your local bank for possible UK partners to save on withdrawal fees. A smart chip credit card with a pin number, now required by some ticket machines on this side of the pond, can also be useful.

Manchester Gaydio can be heard locally at 88.4FM or live online everywhere. The station gets news feeds from Gay Times, the largest UK gay magazine.

Attitude covers what’s happening around the country, including Manchester. Boyz and QX, two more national gay periodicals, focus mainly on London. The Pink News website has LGBT news of Britain, the US and the world.

Besides their gay listings, Visit Manchester also has a good local tips on where to stay and eat, and what to do around town. Their Manchester Visitor Information Centre is in the Mercure Manchester Hotel foyer, Piccadilly Plaza, Portland Street.

The Manbears Manchester website will keep you up to date on what's happening with area bears, cubs and friends, including GBBB, the Great British Bear Bash in late April/ early May.

Skiddle has listings and ticket sales for club nights, concerts, performances and other events around town.

Stop by the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Park, a statue of one of the fathers of modern computing who committed suicide in 1954, two years after being convicted of gross indecency for homosexual acts.

For map locations and website links to the businesses below, and more, see our gay Manchester listings pages. For some photos and events listings in London see our gallery and events pages.

Based in Altrincham, just outside Manchester, the Vegetarian Society continues the 1807-1816 work of Reverend William Cowherd, who led his Salford, Manchester congregation to abstain from meat, and of Joseph Brotherton, a local MP during early years of the Industrial Revolution. Members have since included George Bernard Shaw, Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy.

The Edward Carpenter Community (ECC), a group of gay men of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, offers alternatives to the commercial scene, with gatherings across the country, from Scotland to the Lake District. Regular groups meet in both Manchester and Brighton.

Going out
Canal Street, at the center of the Manchester Gay Village, runs along the west side of the Rochdale Canal. Lined with gay bars and restaurants, this street and others nearby, fill at night and on warm afternoons with locals and visiting gay and lesbian tourists from all around the world

The Alchemist (3 Hardman St, Spinningfields), gay-friendly cocktails or dining establishment, early morning coffee, lunch or weekend brunch. Check out their Cocktail Master Classes. Also with a new location at 1 New York Street, at Mosley.

Australasia (1 The Avenue, Spinningfields), straight but very stylish and gay-friendly spot with world-class dining. Ranks among the finest restaurants in the city.

The Brasserie (1-3 Piccadilly), upscale surf and turf steak house and burger joint at the Malmaison Hotel.